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Solar power generation and storage key to ME smart buildings: Expert

16 Feb 2020

A combination of solar power generation and storage systems will be the most efficient means of transforming buildings throughout the Middle East from energy passive to active, according to a German electricity innovation expert. 

Speaking ahead of the ‘Digitalisation in Energy Conference’, which will run at the Dubai World Trade Centre from March 3-5, Marc Helfter, Disruptive Innovation director for the electrical installations solutions provider, Hager Group, said the region’s future ‘smart’ buildings will be totally electric powered. 

Helfter, who is to present a ‘Smart Building in Action’ case-study, said the region’s high sunshine penetration rate – running at 1747kWh/kWp/year in Dubai – made solar the obvious choice to power buildings but solutions needed to be supported by storage infrastructures. “Within the region solar has by far the biggest potential but to be fully efficient, PV installations have to be combined with energy storage solutions,” he said.  

“The future will be fully electric. Mobility, heating, cooling will become electric. Buildings will go from passive to active as they produce a part of their energy then exchange information and energy with the grid. In this way, smart buildings will play a role in the electric eco-system. Renewable energies need storage capacities and flexibility. Buildings connected to the grid can provide service.” 

“Smart buildings are a key component of the Middle East and Africa’s smart cities market which has been forecast by KPMG to be worth US$2.7bn by 2022,” said Claudia Konieczna, exhibition director, Middle East Energy.  
 

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